Derby Museums

Analysis

Derby Museums is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Derby. It was registered in November 2012, 14 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 08036113). It says it provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2026, Derby Museums reported income of £4.3m and spending of £5.0m, spending 116% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income fell from £7.1m to £4.3m (-39%), an average of -12% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 59%. Over the whole period it spent 118% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, Derby Museums sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Pioneer Theatres Limited (£4.3m), Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (£4.4m) and Redhills CIO (£4.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 72%, trading 24%, donations and legacies 2.3% and investments 2.2%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £461. Charitable activities took 82% of spending and raising funds 18%. Reserves of £982k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 136 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.